for what ever reason i have a first calf heifer that had a calf and everything was going great. She was getting pulled down pretty bad so I pinned her up and supplemented her with young heifers. She still went down hill. Her calf up and died after about a month. Nothing appeared wrong with him. She wasnt giving much milk towards the later stage. Well she still kind of continued down after the calf died. she now is down and wont get up. i have been feeding her and haying her on the ground. i have put slings under her fron and back end and pick her up with the tractor. the front legs work but the back ones are either so stiff or just lack of use. When i pick her up i can move them around and she just doesnt seem to have control of them. i gave her antibotics and swelling shot. he is on day 3 to be down. Is there a give up point where if they are down so long the legs arent going to gain mobility again. She gets pretty weak when i pick her up and let he try to stand on her legs. Any suggestions
cow down, help with question
- Thread starter plbcattle
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Caustic Burno
Well-known member
plbcattle":2nw4htr1 said:
I have fought with one for almost two weeks before 13 days and got her up, but she was fighting as well.
Has she got the look yet.
OP
OP
plbcattle
Well-known member
no, she has the look of life, ive seen the given up look but this one wont try to get up but as long a she has feed,water seems to be making it. I just hate wasting time on a lost cause. But i guess i wont know till she either gets up or gives it up.
I'm aware of your theory about saving down cows. I just don't agree. I concentrate much more on the not letting them get to be a downer. It's much more productive. This cow should have been sold while she had some equity in her. I wonder how much feed, medicine and hay that's been fed to this parasite that could have went somewhere more productive. By the time the medicine has a chance to withdraw from her system and she regains her weight to be productive or saleable it's a net money looser.....that's if she ever stands.
simangus23
Well-known member
The cow down question sounds to me like a Calcium deficiency. Cows will go down due to a lack of Calcium. There are two limiting factors to Ca uptake and these are 1) A high level of Phosphorus (P) and a low level of Vitamin D3. To get a downed cow up you can give her calcium intravaneously or under the skin or both. If you are worried about findig an appropriate vein just put it under the skin (1 litre) in at least 3 different places like the neck region and the rib region. She will be up in 24 hours. Ca needs increase prior to calving and through peak milk production (e.g. 2 months post-calving). By feeding a high Ca beef cattle mineral this can be avoided. Make sure the Ca
ratio does not give you too much P< because P is a limiting factor to Ca uptake. The best mineral I know of has a 16:1 (Ca) ratio.
The calf dying at one month of age sounds to me like BVD.
Simangus23
ratio does not give you too much P< because P is a limiting factor to Ca uptake. The best mineral I know of has a 16:1 (Ca) ratio. The calf dying at one month of age sounds to me like BVD.
Simangus23
Simangus - if it were milk fever she'd have already died by now. They don't linger for weeks when they have milk fever.
Possiblities IMO... calf may have simply starved to death if the cow wasn't producing enough. Cow... hardware maybe. Because she's eating it rules out DAs, and because she's a 1st calf beef heifer we can pretty much rule out ketosis. What's her manure consistency? Johnes could be a possibility. How about a uterine infection? that can pull them down and make them really weak. Is she running a temp at all?
Hopefully you have a good relationship with a large animal vet you can at least call for a short consultation, because you need more advice than a random assortment of online cowboys can give you.
Personally... I feel that sometimes you just won't ever know what's wrong with them and one ought to ship and cut their losses before the cow gets to the point yours is at. You know for next time. Sometimes an animal has a lot of heart and doesn't give up easily, but that doesn't mean they have a chance of getting up and going again. JMO, but I'd shoot her now.
Possiblities IMO... calf may have simply starved to death if the cow wasn't producing enough. Cow... hardware maybe. Because she's eating it rules out DAs, and because she's a 1st calf beef heifer we can pretty much rule out ketosis. What's her manure consistency? Johnes could be a possibility. How about a uterine infection? that can pull them down and make them really weak. Is she running a temp at all?
Hopefully you have a good relationship with a large animal vet you can at least call for a short consultation, because you need more advice than a random assortment of online cowboys can give you.
Personally... I feel that sometimes you just won't ever know what's wrong with them and one ought to ship and cut their losses before the cow gets to the point yours is at. You know for next time. Sometimes an animal has a lot of heart and doesn't give up easily, but that doesn't mean they have a chance of getting up and going again. JMO, but I'd shoot her now.
simangus23
Well-known member
Could be Johnes disease and if it is then yes----- put her down and remember that this bacteria can live in your soil for years--- BUT normally Johnes disease doesnt affect an animal at this age- 1st calf heifer say (2yrs old)
But I do know if a cow goes down prior to calving and even post-calving that it is usually a Ca deficiency--- the calf dying at 4 weeks sounds like BVD. Anyway you sort it --- sounds like a serious lack of management.
But I do know if a cow goes down prior to calving and even post-calving that it is usually a Ca deficiency--- the calf dying at 4 weeks sounds like BVD. Anyway you sort it --- sounds like a serious lack of management.
